Dart/warder

Museum number: UEM184

Material: Wood

Region and culture: New Zealand. Manuae, Cook Island or Fransk Polynesia 

Description: Wooden spear, tao or patia, with a carved point. 86 cm in length. Could possibly be dated to the early 19th century. Both the Cook Islands and the Austral Islands are possible places of origin. Spears, together with clubs, constituted the main weapon of warfare for Polynesians. These often became,  against the wishes of its owner, objects of trade. The tip of the spear is richly decorated with linear vertical ornamentation. It probably had a ceremonial function. The polished blade and attention to detail in the spears carving, reveals a great deal of time and effort being put down in the process of making it.